Sanders slams identity politics as Democrats figure out their future

Bernie Sanders said Monday that the path to success for Democrats has to be through more than just identity politics, adding that it’s simply not enough for the party to base its appeals on diversity.

“It’s not good enough for someone to say, ‘I’m a woman! Vote for me!’” No, that’s not good enough. What we need is a woman who has the guts to stand up to Wall Street, to the insurance companies, to the drug companies, to the fossil fuel industry,” the Vermont independent senator and former Democratic presidential candidate said in a not-so-subtle rebuke to Hillary Clinton.

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Sanders spoke during a book tour stop in Boston, according to video and a transcript of his answer, and was answering in response to a question about advice for an aspiring politician who wants to become the second Latino senator.

While not officially a Democrat, Sanders has expressed dismay over the party’s failure to elect Clinton. As he did during his primary campaign, the Vermonter emphasized that today’s liberals have simply lost touch with the working class that once used to be the core of their movement.

And the fervently independent senator is not alone. Over the weekend, President Barack Obama hinted that Clinton’s campaign should have focused more of its outreach beyond the base of the party — although the president stressed that a broad overhaul is not necessary.

“And one message I do have for Democrats is that a strategy that’s just micro-targeting particular, discrete groups in a Democratic coalition sometimes will win you elections, but it’s not going to win you the broad mandate that you need,” Obama told reporters during a joint news conference in Lima, Peru, on Sunday.

Continuing with one of the themes of his campaign, Sanders said the focus must be to stand firm on progressive principles.

“We need candidates — black, white and Latino and gay and male, we need all of that. But we need all of those candidates and officials to have the guts to stand up to the oligarchy. That is the fight of today.”